It's the most powerful tool in our financial toolkit -- so why do so many of us run screaming from this exercise? At its most basic level, it's a personal money plan requiring a little bit of addition and subtraction. It's a plan that allows you to take control of your financial situation and live within your means.

When I started my company in 2014, I was excited to build a "fintech" company that used technology and data to reinvent banking for everyday consumers. Since then, fintech has rapidly become a buzzword.

Life as a student can be challenging, fun and full of the unexpected. While a life spent living on the edge might make for some great stories upon graduation, when it comes to your budget, limiting the unexpected will give you more peace of mind.

The Client Relationship Model - Phase 2 (CRM2) is a new set of industry regulations meant to provide Canadian investors with more details on their investment costs and performance. It was developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators, an organization representing Canada's investment industry regulators.

The unsexy truth is, larger companies are better positioned to innovate than start-ups. They have more money, more man-power, a more trusted brand, and most of all, more ways to reach their customers. Out of all bank customers, some are technology enthusiasts who moved entirely to robo advisers as soon as they could.

In a world of financial and economic inter-connectedness it would be foolish to suggest that there won't be any knock-on effects from the hitherto number four largest economy worldwide in its political convulsions, but from this particular writer's standpoint, Canada's economy is sailing safely going forward.

ider and consumer. We can work towards providing objective investment advice, free of vice and bias. Think of the pain and loss that could be avoided if human error and greed were removed from finance. Imagine if we could remove the weight of unmanageable debt with smarter risk assessment. What if we could help people make better decisions about their money and offer access to knowledge currently limited to high-earners and high-rollers? We can.

We're looking at roughly 220,000 payday lending customers here in Alberta. Thankfully the NDP government here in Alberta has announced new legislation on payday lending. The government is proposing the lowest payday lending rates in the county while simultaneously fostering better alternatives to help people get short-term credit.

You can now open savings and chequing accounts, manage your retirement and investment accounts and get loans online, never mind being able to leave your wallet at home and use your phone to buy everything. Here are the top companies that can take you from money 2D banking to 3D.

Electronic money, or e-money, has arrived. It can be transferred through smart phone, tablet, computer, or other ways. This way, people can make quick payments with their phones -- even in physical settings like the grocery store. Will cards be replaced by e-money, the way cash has been mostly replaced by cash?

The birds and the bees may not be the only difficult conversation you'll be having with your kids, discussing money and finances with your children can be just as challenging. Given the lack of mandated financial literacy courses in Canada, parents can fill the void by teaching financial concepts to their children early on.

While the prospect of purchasing a home for the first time in Canada is an exciting and important step, many newcomers choose to rent for the first several months to a year (or longer) after their arrival. Before deciding whether to rent or buy, it's important that you know what you can afford, weigh the options available and take the time to make the right decisions that will ensure a successful future in Canada.

One of the first things you'll need to do is open a Canadian bank account. This will give you a safe place to deposit and access your money whenever you need it. Canada's banking system can differ from other countries, and it takes time to understand the various types of financial institutions, bank accounts and services available.

Many students today are recognizing that there is more to education than lectures, essays and exams. Some of the most important lessons can be learned by investing time outside the classroom walls, in communities across Canada and around the world.

Money isn't about numbers. It is about people, and values, and goals. The centre of a bank or for anyone coaching people to be better with their money should reflect that. It should be like a Home Depot for finances -- we can show you and cheer you on to do it yourself or be here for the hard stuff and take your hand when you need it

We've all probably met a financial advisor who told us to buy a "balanced mutual fund," and hard sold their own company's "top performing" fund. They tell a good story, but do they really have our best interests at heart?

After six weeks at school, students may be surprised by how much it actually costs to live independently. When I first moved out on my own, I was amazed by all the hidden costs. Living at home, my parents covered most expenses -- from groceries to toiletries -- and I never gave it a second thought.

Albert Einstein once said, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is income taxes." -- you can rest assured that it is not a simple subject. Taxpayers are expected to understand it well enough to be able to make good decisions about our own financial situation. But if understanding basic income tax isn't enough of a headache, the taxes on investment earnings (such as in your RRSP) represent a whole new territory.